Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-06-04
anorner's griefz and, wien we do, by what

anotner's grief! ana, VIXEN We do, by what
standard can We measure it, More especially
is comprehension rare if we happen to be the
original cause of the trouble. Do We think
Of the feelings Of the beetles it is our painful
duty to crush into nothingncssa Not at all.
If We have any compunctions, they are
quickly absorbed in the pride Of our capture.
And more often still, as In the present case,
we set our foot upon the poor victim by pure
accident OF venal carelessness.
Suffering, mental suffering, is q ~prerogative
OF greatness, and even here there lies an ex-
quisite JOY ut its core. For everything has its
compensations. Nerves such as these can
thrill with Il high happiness that will sweep
unfelt over the mass of men. Thus he who is
stricken with grief at tho sight Of the worlds
misery-as all great and good men must be-
is at times lifted up with Joy by catching some
faint CLEAN Of the almighty purpose that
underlies it all. So it was with tho Son Of
Man i'll his darkest hours; the spirit that
enabled him to compass out tho measure Of
tho worlds suffering and sin enabled him also,
knowing theh' purposes, to gaze beyond them;
and thus it is, too, with those deep hearted
children of his race, who partake, however
dimly, Of his divinity.
&AiA SO, even Ill tnlS hour Ok Tier uIrkeSV
bitterness and grief, a CLEAN Of comfort strug-
gled to Jess breast just as tho first ray Of
dawn was struggling through tho stormy
night. She would sacrifice herself to her
sister-that she had determined on; and hence
came that cold CLEAN of happiness, for there
is happiness in self sacrifice, whatever the
cynical may say. At first her woman's nature
had risen III rebellion against the thought.
Why should she throw her life aways She
had as good u right to him as Bessie, and she
knew that by tho strength Of her own hand
she could hold him against Bessie III all her
beauty, however far things had gone between
them; and she believed, as IL jealous woman
is prone to do, that they had gone much
farther than they had.
But by and by her better self rose up and
mastered the promptings of her heart. Bessie
loved him, and Bessie was weaker than she
and less suited to bear pain, and sho had
sworn to her dying mother-for Bessie had
been her mothers d%arling-to promote her
happiness, and, como what would, to comfort
and protect her by every means in her power.
1t was q wide oath, and she was only IL child
when she took it, but it bound her conscience
none tho less, and surely it covered this. Be-
sides, hedcarly loved hcr-far, far more than
she loved herself. No, Bessie should have her
lover, and she should never know what it had
cost her to give him up; and as for herself,
we'll, she must go away like Il wounded buck,
md hide till shc got well-or died.
She laughed II drcar little laugh, md went
and brushed her hair just as tho broad lights
or tho dawn came streaming across tho misty
veldt. But She lid not look ut her face again
in tho glass; she cared no more about it now,
Then she throw herself down to sleep tho
sleep of utter exhaustion before it was timo
to go out again and faco tho world and her
now sorrow.
Poor jess! Loves young dream had not
ovcrsilndowcd her for long. It had tarried
just three hours. But it had left other
dreams behind.
"unclc," said Jess that morning to old Silas
Croft as hc stood by the kraal cato, where he
had been counting out the shccp-an opera
ton requiring great quicincss Of eye, and on
tho accurate performance of which he greatly
pridcd himself.
eyes, yes, my dear, ! know what you ure
going to say. 1t was very neatly done; it
isn't everybody who cnn count out GOO run.
ming, hungry sheep without II mistake. But,
then, ! onghtn't to say too much, for you SEQ
l have been ut it for fifty years, in tho Old
Colony and here. Now, many II man would
get fifty sheep wrong. There's Mel now"-
Uncle" sail she, wincing a little ut tho
name, as q horse with Il sore back winccs at
tho touch of tho saddle. "it wasn't about tho
sheep that was going to speak to you. l
want you to do mo n favor"
"A fnvors Why, God bless the girl, how
pale you look!-not but what YOU are always
pale. Well. what is il now!"
~ want to go up to Pretoria by tho post
cart that leaves Wakkcrstroonl tolnor-
row afternoon, and to stop for II couple Of
months with my schoolfcllow Jane Neville.
! have often promised to go, and | have never
gone"
swell, | never" said the old man. "My
stay at homo jess wanting to go away and
without Bessie, tool What is tho matter
with youP'
II want II change, uncle, I do, indeed. ]
hope you won'tthwart mo In this"
Her uncle looked ut her steadily with his
keen, gray eyes.
"lIulnpIi" he said, you want to 20 away,
and there's an end of it. Best not ask too
many questions where II maid is concerned.
Very well, my lear, go if you like, though
! shall miss you"
"rhunIs you. uncle" sho said, and kissed
him, and then turned and went.
Old Croft took Off his brond hat and pol.
islcd his bald head with u red pocket hand.
%kcrcliicf.
"Tl,cres something up with that girl" he
said aloud ton lizard that had crrpt out of
the cruviccs of the stone wall Ia hask in the
sun. II am not such n fool us 1 look, und 1
say that there is something wrong with her.
She is odder than ever" and lie hit v~iciously
at the lizard with lis stick, whcrcon it
promptly boltel into its crack, returning
presently to see if the irntc human had de-
parted.
However," he soliIounizcd, as he m,ule his
way up to the house. 81 am glad that it was
not Bessie. 1 couldn't bear, ut my time Of
life, to rart with Bessie even for u couple Of
m0nfIs y